Paul Yovovich, AB’74, MBA’75, is an investor and former corporate executive. He is a trustee of the University of Chicago Medical Center and the University of Chicago. Paul and his wife, Mary, AB’74 and MBA’78, (pictured) have supported a variety of University initiatives, including:
• the Mary Yovovich Professor in Pediatrics in the Wallman Society of Fellows, to be awarded in the Biological Sciences Division
• the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion
• the Odyssey Scholarship Program
• the George and Elizabeth Yovovich Professor in the Department of Computer Science, held by Stuart Kurtz, PhD
• the University of Chicago Veterans Program Fund
As a donor, what do you hope the impact of your philanthropy will be? What impact have you already seen?
Mary and I have been privileged to help support the work of Christina Ciaccio, MD, MSc. She focuses on food allergies, which affect so many individuals and their loved ones. Her research and clinical work have saved and improved lives. The path to improved treatments for food allergies is incredibly promising, thanks in great measure to the work of Dr. Ciaccio and her colleagues. We also try to encourage others to experience the fulfillment we get by supporting one or more of the many remarkable initiatives at UChicago Medicine.
What inspired you to serve on the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees?
I believe deeply in the University’s motto “Crescat scientia vita excolatur” or “Let knowledge grow from more to more and so be human life enriched.” No part of the University lives this motto more fully than the medical center. Our physicians and scientists are making stunning discoveries, training the next generation of clinicians and scholars, and providing compassionate care to save and enhance patients’ lives. There is no shortage of inspiration at UChicago Medicine!
As a UCMC trustee, what most inspires you about the future of UChicago Medicine?
The profound and consistent commitment of the entire medical center team to research, teaching, and patient care is tangible. Their dedication to our mission is a great unifying force. I am continually touched by that dedication in all my interactions with everyone I encounter.
Can you describe volunteer work as a UCMC trustee that you found particularly meaningful?
I bring no skills as a scientist or clinician to my role as a University of Chicago Medical Center trustee. But I try to ask questions, provide insights, and offer support based on my experiences in business and as a trustee or director of corporate and non-profit organizations. It is incredibly rewarding to be associated with our great University and medical center, and possibly have a bit of an impact on enabling their life-changing work.
